The Genie GTH-5022R rotating rough terrain telehandler is proving popular on building sites where rough and uneven terrain is still a challenge, says industrial equipment and solutions supplier Goscor business unit Goscor Hi-Reach MD George Landsberg.

Goscor Botswana distributor Gaborone House & Fittings’ Luis Santana says there is demand for this machine because of its manoeuvrability, reach, ruggedness, and, most importantly, safety.

Santana agrees that the Genie GTH-5022R is ideal for the robust construction environment. “It’s all about lowest cost of ownership over time and this machine, because of its unparalleled efficiency, reliability and durability, is proving ideal for the construction industry and others,” he says.

Santana points out that effi- cient and comfortable operation, which has always been a hallmark of Genie products, is taken to new levels with the 5022R. \ “There are many features, which help increase operator productivity, including power- assisted, multifaceted, all-directional steering, air conditioning, windshield protection, a fish-eye rear view mirror, an adjustable spotlight on the boom, an infrared night vision camera, a collision avoidance system, on-board fire suppression, an on-board auto greasing system, keyless access control to the operator cabin, a lock-out station, emergency exits and deployable exit functions, safety barrier railing while in refuelling mode and a fuel tagging monitoring system.”

He adds that one of the most important features of the GTH-5022R is the option to operate the machine using the remote control man-lift basket that overrides cab operations. “This is, of course, particularly advantageous in more inacces- sible locations.”

Landsberg highlights that this key feature of being able to operate the unit from the man-lift basket, overriding the main cabin on a system, means Genie boasts standout safety performance.

“It has no rival in this area, making Genie an outlier in the industry when it comes to safety standards.

“In our business, the mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) industry, safety is not merely another of our priorities – it is the reason for our existence,” says Landsberg.

He explains that, historically, working at height was an extremely dangerous activity and the MEWP industry grew as a result of modern technology being able to make it safe.

Goscor Hi-Reach is the distributor of Genie’s extensive range of products in the Southern African market. It primarily specialises in MEWPs, also called cherry pickers, boom and scissor lifts, or manlifts, but also focuses on telehandlers, material lifts, warehouse stepladder machines, and Genie and Terex light towers.

Landsberg says work-at-height regulations apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall that could cause personal injury.

“These regulations place duties on employers, the self-employed and any person who controls the work of others – for example, construction companies and their site managers, facilities managers or building owners who may contract others to work at height,” he notes.

Naturally, the need for safe apparatus when working at height on building sites is great and Goscor Hi-Reach’s Genie range is common on such sites throughout Southern Africa. “Genie is trusted the world over for its safe and efficient MEWP machines and, of course, South Africa is no exception,” says Landsberg.

Support Services

Integral to the successes of Goscor Hi-Reach, says Lands-berg, is the support service that it provides through its large footprint of dealers throughout South Africa. “Our machines serve a critical function wherever they are working so downtime has to be, as far as possible, eradicated,” he points out. “We and our dealers are, therefore, on call 24/7 to provide the right levels of service.”

Landsberg says many people believe work-at-height only relates to construction situations where people are often working at great heights.

“While construction is obviously a major part of the work-at-height industry, one must not forget that many of the most serious accidents are those such as falling from stepladders in the office or in the construction company’s warehouse.

“So, while we have products that enable safe working in multi- storey situations, we also focus heavily on making work at lower heights safe,” Landsberg says.

The warehousing situation is one where working at lower heights is part of life and, with safe efficiency increasingly the rule of thumb followed by South African companies that have any sort of warehouse, the demand for safe equipment is great and growing.

“In this regard, our Genie QuickStock has become one of the most popular choices,” says Landsberg. The Genie QuickStock vertical mast lifts are compact, low-weight machines designed to make picking faster, easier and safer than rolling stairs or manually propelled lifts.

In February, Goscor Hi-Reach celebrated the sale of the one-thousandth Genie machine in Southern Africa. “The first one was sold by Neville Bell on March 1, 1999, and it has been a success story ever since,” Landsberg adds.